Wounded Touch’s A Vivid Depiction of Collapse, out now on Smartpunk Records, picks up exactly where the band left off with their 2024 split with our recent guests FallFiftyFeet. Tracks like “The Damning Variable” and “Choleradio” bridge the gap between the bruising mathcore of their earlier work and the broader scope of their new material, which dives into post-hardcore and industrial noise without losing its edge.
This time, they’ve leaned into discomfort. “Every song thematically seemed to be focused on the newest anxieties we had following the last record,” said Nick Holland, pointing to everything from parenthood, partnerhood, and burnout to AI-induced creative insecurity. The album draws together those threads into something that feels like a breakdown in motion—direct, dissonant, and deeply personal.
View this post on Instagram
The band’s sound has matured without softening. “I think we know who we are as a band a lot more coming out of the sprint we had when lockdown lifted,” Nick explained. Rather than playing it safe, they allowed themselves to color outside the lines—citing unexpected touches of Nine Inch Nails and Sisters of Mercy within their otherwise uncompromising sonic world.
Still grounded in the jagged lineage of Poison the Well, Zao, and Hopesfall, A Vivid Depiction of Collapse is the sound of a band fully committing to its identity. Nick reflected, “In the past it felt like we only had so many songs so each one had to try and cast a wide net… this time around we were more comfortable.”
Recording once again at Bricktop with Andy Nelson, Wounded Touch stuck with a process that works—pushing their limits while sharpening what already comes naturally. “Like every time you record, you learn what you’re good at, and what you’re not,” Nick said. The result is a record they describe as sincere and unpolished, a culmination of growth without compromise.
The band’s fiercely DIY approach remains central to everything they do. There’s frustration in that route—certain doors stay closed without the right affiliations—but they see the trade-off as worth it. “Most of our successes, debts, and responsibilities are only to ourselves,” Nick pointed out. That independence has also allowed for a kind of guerrilla strategy: playing select shows in under-saturated markets and leaving strong impressions in short bursts.
It’s an approach that’s opened unexpected paths. Touring the UK, they found themselves headlining in unfamiliar territory—and being welcomed warmly. “Our friends in Geist are still some of our closest friends because of that tour,” Nick recalled. In contrast to the U.S. scene, they noticed how excited people were just to be there: “They don’t feel mandated to attend.”
Even with recognition from outlets like Knotfest and Metal Hammer, the band remains skeptical of praise. “Imposter syndrome means nothing ever feels like enough,” Nick admitted. For them, the focus stays on continuing to create and evolve. They’re planning Midwest weekenders and have festivals in the works, but the goal is always to keep moving, not to coast.
Asked what message they hope listeners take away from A Vivid Depiction of Collapse, Nick doesn’t hedge: “Keep your head, and keep moving forward. The only way out is through.”
Read the full interview below to dig into their views on metalcore’s changing landscape, the specifics of their recording process, what touring the UK meant to them, and why they’re still chasing the feeling they first found at Furnace Fest.
View this post on Instagram
A Vivid Depiction of Collapse is a powerful and evocative title. What’s the concept or story behind the album?
Every song thematically seemed to be focused on the newest anxieties we had following the last record; the fear of not being a good enough and supportive enough partner, the desire to heal all the pain in those you love and being unable, the weight of being a new parent, and the stress of a new artistic culture requiring you to consistently produce content even at the expense of authenticity above your own ability to compete with AI. It felt like the summation of all those stress points and the inevitable result.
“The Damning Variable” and “Choleradio” were the first singles. Why did you choose these tracks to represent the record ahead of its release?
They felt like a natural bridge between our last split we released in 2024 and this material. The record has as much posthardcore dabbling as it does barbaric, noisy mathcore. So we tried to pick songs that captured that transition well, especially since we could use it as an excuse to play those songs live first.
How has your sound evolved from your debut album to this new full-length?
I’d we’ve overall not only grown up, but accepted the era our most formative years as musicians were in. I think we know who we are as a band a lot more coming out of the sprint we had when lockdown lifted. This record is our chance to show, for better or worse, and exactly who we are as a band.
Your influences include Poison the Well, Zao, and Hopesfall. Did you take a different approach or find inspiration from any unexpected sources this time around?
I think we allowed ourselves to be less “safe” with this record. In the past it felt like we only had so many songs so each one had to try and cast a wide net. It felt like on this record we were more comfortable coloring outside the lines a bit. We even lean into some Nine Inch Nails/Sisters of Mercy influence on a portion of the record. The overall direction of the path is the same, but we allowed ourselves to sightsee a bit more on the way this time around.
You’re a band with a strong DIY ethic. What have been the biggest challenges and rewards of staying true to this approach?
The biggest challenge is that unfortunately, you will be locked out of certain stuff without certain affiliations, hype or people backing you. Like everything, it’s sometimes a lot about who you know.
The benefit though is that like our failures, most of successes, debts, and responsibilities are only to ourselves. With more third party hands/cooks in the kitchen, that’s more mouths to feed and more people trying to come around with their hands open the moment you might be at your poorest or most vulnerable. As people who have tried it both ways in past bands, it’s a hard path to take, but it has felt much more rewarding when it does work out.
Your work style has been described as a “guerrilla campaign” in the music scene. Can you share a moment where this mentality led to an unexpected opportunity?
I would say our touring and tactful approach to where and when we play has helped us not over saturate ourselves in the areas people want to see us most and has allowed us to make a quick impression in various growing areas instead hammering the same scenes predictably over and over. It feels like a blitzkrieg approach sometimes, just an in and out that has opened a lot of doors for us to return to places we might have otherwise missed if we were more focused on the bigger markets.
What was the recording process like for A Vivid Depiction of Collapse? Where did you record it, and what did you learn along the way?
It was an incredibly rewarding process, like our last record, to be able to record at Bricktop with Andy Nelson in Chicago. Like every time you record, you learn what you’re good at, and what you’re not. It can be frustrating but it helps you double down on what works. Andy is a great producer and really helped us lean into who we are to make what I think sounds like a sincere and authentic record.
You’ve played events like The Fest, Furnace Fest, and SXSW. Was there a particular show that felt like a turning point for the band?
I think the official pre-show at Furnace Fest ‘21 was the moment we realized we had moved into unfamiliar territory. Everything felt different from that moment on and it’s a feeling I think we keep chasing.
You also toured the UK—how was that experience? Did you notice any key differences between the scene there and in the U.S.?
The UK was surreal. We went over there headlining on another continent we had no business headlining…and somehow came out on top. The people there welcomed us in and treated us so well and our friends in Geist are still some of our closest friends because of that tour. The difference there is the shows still seem to feel special to people there, people are excited to be there, they don’t feel mandated to attend.
With the new album on the way, do you have any tour plans or special performances lined up?
We have a few weekenders planned around the Midwest and as of the time of this interview, there’s a few festivals we still have to announce, so that’s the plan for the moment, though we’re always looking to do more.
You’ve received praise from major outlets like Knotfest, Metal Hammer, and No Echo. How does that validation feel for you?
The problem is that imposter syndrome means nothing ever feels like enough. We are thankful for every piece of coverage we get, but we’re never going to believe any of it (if it’s positive lol).
How do you see the evolution of metalcore and mathcore today? Do you think the 2000s sound is making a resurgence?
Everything is cyclical and it’s moving very fast. Music that to me still feels relevant and contemporary is now being regarded as “classic” or “nostalgic” metalcore. Pretty soon people are going to be influenced by bands that started during lockdown. But that’s the way it goes. I’m sure in five years we’ll be back to the third or fourth youth crew revival, and the cycle repeats!
What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from A Vivid Depiction of Collapse?
I hope people know that the only thing that will stop you at the end of the day is choosing to lay down and die. Keep your head, and keep moving forward. The only way out is through.
